All Songs Considered: Alt.Latino — Salsa, Bossa Nova, and Argentina's Next Big Thing

Date: October 29, 2025
Hosts: Ana Maria Sayer & Felix Contreras

Overview

This vibrant episode of NPR’s Alt.Latino dives deeply into the soundscape of Latin America and beyond, focusing on how artists are innovating with cultural roots while exploring new genres. Ana Maria Sayer and Felix Contreras guide listeners through a curated mix: the emergence of Argentina’s Milo Jota, inventive bossa nova hybrids from Guatemala and Peru, Mon Laferte’s genre-defying new record, contemporary flamenco-jazz fusions, straight-up salsa revivals, and Latino narratives in Americana country.

Key Discussion Points

1. Argentina’s Next Big Thing: Milo Jota

(01:36 – 08:10)

• Ana Maria introduces Milo Jota, a 19-year-old phenomenon from Argentina:
  • Originally known for acoustic-tinged hip-hop and rap, now pushing boundaries with new album La Vida Era Mas Corta.
  • “He played with all these traditional instruments from across Argentina. He collaborated with people like Silvio Rodriguez, Mercedes Sosa...I mean, legends, legends, legends.” — Ana Maria (03:20)
  • Notable inclusion: traditional folk elements from his indigenous community of Santiago del Estero.
• Featured tracks highlight Milo’s experimentation with tango, bandoneon, and ancestral chants—tying personal and collective Argentine history, especially the scars of dictatorship, into the music.

Memorable Quote:

• “He could just be the end, right? But he's like, no, no, no, I'm going to take the time, I'm going to find these collaborators.” (06:03, Ana Maria)

• Collaborations include posthumous vocals from Mercedes Sosa (“It’s almost like Mercedes is blessing his work.” — Felix, 07:52) and a duet with Silvio Rodriguez.

2. Bossa Nova Reimagined: Fabuloso & Los Skippers

(09:04 – 12:25)

• Felix highlights a unique collaboration: Peru’s Fabuloso, Guatemala’s Los Skippers, now in Mexico City.
  • Their track “Cite Gusta” creatively merges bossa nova with modern pop.
• Ana and Felix discuss how this blend doesn’t “sound like Guatemala” but channels Brazil and Spain, part of a broader Latin trend of genre cross-pollination, with Mexico City acting as a creative nexus.

Memorable Exchange:

• “It sounds like Spain, honestly...But this is what a lot of these Spanish producers are doing... And it's Mexico City is what it really is.” — Ana Maria (11:42–12:01)

3. Mon Laferte’s Femme Fatale: Genre Fluidity and Feminine Power

(12:49 – 19:08)

• Ana praises Mon Laferte’s new album as a masterclass in reinvention and conceptual depth.
  • Mon blends jazz, soul, bolero, and more, embodying different eras and styles in service of a theme: empowered femininity.
  • Track highlights: “Las flores que de rasta en la Mesa Samurai,” followed by the jazz-inflected “1:30.”

Notable Quotes:

• “In the future...when we think about the great voices of this era, Mon Laferte’s name is going to come up 100%.” — Felix (15:17)

• “It’s like every era that women kind of had a moment to, like, test the water on something...and then it’s all in Spanish, which is a whole other thing.” — Ana Maria (18:21)

• Felix draws parallels to the beat poetry/jazz fusion in midcentury America, saying Spanish’s flow suits jazz even better than English.

• “She’s just like testing, like, play a little bit. It’s really interesting to me. It’s beautiful. It’s beautiful.” — Ana Maria (16:58)

4. Flamenco-Jazz Crossovers: Chano Dominguez & Imaginario

(21:03 – 25:32)

• Felix introduces Chano Dominguez (Cadiz, Spain) and Imaginario (Cleveland, Ohio) and their album The Blues Around Us.
  • “March of the Sigurias” exemplifies jazz’s porous genre boundaries, fusing flamenco guitar and jazz piano.
• They discuss jazz’s openness and the history of flamenco-jazz dating back to Paco de Lucía.
• Felix also notes the “jazz police,” and celebrates artists pushing boundaries.

Memorable Quote:

• “Jazz isn’t a genre. Jazz is just the world in music.” — Ana Maria (22:42)

• Felix highlights the supporting rhythm section from Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for this project.

5. Salsa Revival & Critique: Nathy Peluso’s EP

(25:32 – 30:07)

• Ana brings Nathy Peluso’s new straight-ahead salsa EP, contrasting her Argentinian/Spanish background with her clear affection for classic salsa.

• The track “Angel” introduces the discussion:

  • “The whole EP is literally pretty much straight ahead salsa...It’s interesting to me because...she has this really cinematic, beautiful big voice that can...rise to the occasion of a salsa track. And there are also some moments...where I’m like, I don’t know, falta algo.” — Ana Maria (27:08-28:32)

• Felix reflects on the evolution of salsa, referencing the controversial “salsa romántica” wave:

  • “There’s something about...old school salsa...the sound is funkier...this is kind of cleaned up.” (29:23)

• The hosts agree some of Nathy Peluso’s approach lacks salsa’s original punk energy or “rough edge.”

6. Latino Americana: Andres Miguel Cervantes

(30:28 – 33:34)

• Felix spotlights Andres Miguel Cervantes, a Californian exploring border stories through the Americana/country idiom.
  • Plays “Dreams of Jacumba,” drawing comparisons to Raul Malo (The Mavericks) in voice and storytelling authenticity.
• Felix stresses the importance of voice and narrative in Americana, and how Cervantes uses this style to reflect his family history: “He’s using that whole genre to tell his own reality.” (32:13)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Milo Jota’s Artistic Depth:
  “He describes [‘Bajo la Piel’] as the marks of years that he was not allowed to be a part of. Basically memories he never got to live because...his ancestry was scarred by all the years of dictatorship in Argentina...” — Ana Maria (05:25)

• On Genre Hybridity:
  “Jazz is everything. Jazz isn’t a genre. Jazz is just the world in music.” — Ana Maria (22:42)
  “You clean it up and you lose some of that for sure.” — Ana Maria on salsa’s changing sound (29:49)

• On Modern Latin Music’s Fertility:
  “There's so much incredible content of people creating art like this. Like, young artists...it's such a unique moment in Latin America.” — Ana Maria (08:10)

• On Cultural Crossroads:
  “And it's Mexico City is what it really is. Because that's...the meeting point.” — Ana Maria (12:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Milo Jota’s story: 01:28 – 08:10
• Fabuloso x Los Skippers, genre blending: 09:04 – 12:25
• Mon Laferte’s Femme Fatale album: 12:49 – 19:08
• Chano Dominguez/Imaginario jazz-flamenco: 21:03 – 25:32
• Nathy Peluso’s salsa EP & discussion: 25:32 – 30:07
• Andres Miguel Cervantes Americana: 30:28 – 33:34

Reflection & Takeaways

• Alt.Latino celebrates a dynamic, borderless vision of Latin music.
• Artists are intentionally blending old and new, sometimes reviving traditions (e.g., classic salsa, flamenco, bossa nova) with reverence or subversion.
• The episode underscores the diverse routes Latines are taking to express identity, history, and empowerment—whether in Spanish-language jazz or country music storytelling.
• There is candid discussion regarding authenticity, innovation, and the fine line between homage and reinvention.

Final Thought:
“We always have to remember that early salsa was punk...it was built in the streets...you clean it up and you lose some of that, for sure.” — Ana Maria Sayer (29:49)

This episode is perfect for listeners eager to discover the future of Latin music—and the past it carries under its skin.